Europe

Now for an united and international mobilisation to take the struggle
forward!

As a new explosive cycle of struggle begins in Spain, following
the massive mobilisations of the last weeks and with a likely state-wide
general strike in November, we publish below a report by Socialismo
Revolucionario (CWI in Spain) activists who participated in the general
strike which took place in the Basque country on 26 September. More
material on Spain coming soon...

socialistworld.net

Thousands of workers and young people took part in the GREBA OROKORRA,
General Strike on September 26th in the Basque Country called by the
majority Basque unions, LAB and ELA. The strike was called in response
to the vicious cuts being imposed by the right wing PP government in
Madrid and the never ending austerity measures which are destroying the
health service, education and social welfare in Spain’s autonomous
regions.

The strike followed the March on Madrid (see previous article) organised
by the CCOO and UGT. Unfortunately the majority unions in the Spanish
state did not support the Basque unions’ General Strike.

Despite the lack of support from the CCOO and UGT the strike was
considered a success by the Basque Unions. According to them, 56% of
industrial enterprises were completely shut, in one of the spanish
state’s most heavily industrialised areas. Over 110,000 joined mass
demonstrations in Gasteiz, Iruñea, Donostia y Bilbao, of a comparable
size to the massive marches which marked the Spain-wide general strike
of 29 March. Public transport saw services limited to imposed “minimum
services”, with participation of up to 80% among Metro workers. The
construction sector was almost completely paralyzed, as was the key
industrial port of Bilbao.

In the public sector, there was also a generalised paralysis, including
civil service and public administration. Between 75% and 90% of
education institutions were effected, from primary level to
universities. Local government workers also joined the strike in force,
with the overwhelming majority of town halls shutting down for the day.

Socialismo Revolucionario (CWI in the Spanish state) intervened with a a
team of comrades in the Basque General Strike. We distributed materials
in Euskara (Basque) and Spanish calling for a 48 hour General Strike in
the Spanish state to take the movement forward. In Vitoria-Gasteiz there
was a big presence of young people, both school and university students.
Local government workers, teachers and health workers made up the ranks
in the morning and evening demos. There was less of a presence of
industrial workers which was due to the non-participation of the CCOO
and UGT unions, emphasising the importance of united front action
between the Basque and Spanish unions, in order to bring the full power
of our class into play. This was in contrast to the Basque General
Strike of 29 June 2010, when all the unions struck together.

We received a warm response to our ideas, and were able to easily
distribute our leaflets and sell our newspaper/bulletin. Our slogan for
a 48 General Strike was particularly well received. We also discussed
with the strike committee of a company in ALAVA who are fighting 90
redundancies.

Some questioned our slogan: “No pacts with PNV/EA!”. In the forthcoming
Basque elections on 21 October we are calling for a vote against the
cuts - and a struggle in favour of a socialist alternative. Many workers
are looking to the left-nationalist formation, EH BILDU, to oppose the
cuts. EH BILDU is a coalition of parties one of which is Eusko
Alkartasuna (EA) who were formally in coalition with the pro-capitalist
Basque Nationalist party PNV. Although EA describes itself as Basque
nationalist social democratic party it does not have a history of
standing for clear socialist policies. SR believes it is correct to
clearly state that EH BILDU should not contemplate pacts with
pro-capitalist parties, but should fight for a government to clearly
oppose cuts, basing itself on mobilisations of the working class to
impose alternative policies. It remains to be seen how far the EH BILDU
electoral programme will go in a genuinely socialist direction in the
forthcoming elections and how clear the leaders will be in rejecting all
cuts and pacts with pro cuts nationalist parties.

The mood on the general strike was angry but serious. Schools students
as young as 14 walked out of school to participate in the strike despite
being threatened with detention and punishment. In Gasteiz one of the
six demonstrators arrested after the Basque police charged the march in
the morning was only 15! It was inspiring to see whole schools marching
together in groups, many of whom were on their first demo. Students
throughout Spain are planning more strikes against cuts in the coming
months.

It was noticeable that the platform speeches were quite short and vague.
The union leaders talked about the damage the PP government is doing.
The uncertainty and increase in unemployment and lack of a future for
young people were constantly mentioned but a clear strategy was lacking.
ELA/LAB leaders talked about creating a “Social” society but did not
mention any socialist policies. They mentioned the greed of the bankers
but did not call for the nationalisation of the financial institutions,
as a necessary measure to break from this logic and put society’s
resources to use in creating jobs and regenerating the economy.

SR’s demands for a united struggle across the whole of the Spanish state
and to link up with the Portuguese and other European workers who are
also engaged in general strikes and mass demos is absolutely necessary
given the seriousness of the situation. Although we support the right of
the Catalan and Basque people to exercise their right to self
determination, we cannot allow divisions amongst the working class which
allows the Spanish ruling class to drive through these unprecedented
cuts and attacks on the living standards of all workers across whether
Basque, Catalan or Spanish. The struggle for genuine self-determination
must be linked to the fight against the cuts and impoverishing policies
imposed by the capitalists, whether they be Spanish, Basque, Catalan or
otherwise.

The demos in the Basque Country after the General Strike all ended with
the mass singing of the Internationale which shows that although
national tensions are heightening in the present crisis the Basque
workers at least have an instinctive feeling that an internationalist
solution is necessary to solve the social and national problems here. We
aim to build on those sentiments, in the building of an international
fightback, capable of doing away with this rotten system.